Habitat for Humanity Small Garden Tour
A Tour of  Gardens  on Virginia's Eastern Shore

Sunday May 31, 2009 -- 10:00am--5:00pm
Tickets $20.00 -- Children under 12 Free

Tickets Sold at all Gardens on the Day of the Tour or Advance sales for $15 at PNC, BB&T and Shore bank branches, Hortco Nursery or the Habitat office in Exmore prior to May 29.
** Rain or Shine

This year’s Habitat for Humanity Small Garden Tour is located around the town of Accomac.  The tour focuses on backyard Victory style gardens of WWII era, highlighting kitchen gardens with vegetables and herbs.

The tour begins on Birch Tree Lane off Rt 13 .1 mile south of the Main Street intersection of Rt. 13 in Melfa.

From the intersection of Rt. 13 and Main Street in Melfa, go .1 mile south on Rt. 13.  Turn right onto Spruce.  Continue .2 mile.  At Northwest Ave., take the left fork, Birch Tree Lane.

1.   Copper Creations, 19202 Birch Tree Lane, Melfa          
Don and Donna Drew run Copper Creations out of this site, but Drew has extended his creative talent to design and build a lovely fantasy pond complete with Koi and goldfish.  At the entrance to Birch Tree Lane, a waterfall feeds a small pond surrounded by natural grass plantings and home to a wooden heron.  The pond further down the street, protected by a stone alligator, is fed by a small stream filled with lilies, water iris and pickerel plants.  Surrounding the pond are day lilies, shrubs and palm trees.  Selected artists will be on site demonstrating their crafts throughout the day.

When leaving Copper Creations, drive by and view the first two HFH homes dedicated in 1991:
                 Rita Garris No.1                                 Julia Kellam  No. 2
                  28432 Northwest Ave                            284446 Northwest Ave

From the intersection of Northwest Ave and Main Street, turn right onto Main Street.  Go to Rt. 13.  Turn left at the light and go 6 miles to the light at Front Street, Accomac.  Go .9 mi to Drummondtown Rd;  turn right.

 Parking is available at the St. James’ Episcopal Church parking lot and further on behind Drummondtown Methodist Church in the open field.  Newly planted Neighborhood Gardens are situated behind the church.  Walk from the Presbyterian church to the backyard of the Penlands, 23304 Back St. for rest and refreshments.  View the antique cars and don’t miss the creative use of recycled items and small plots for Victory gardens.

2.  Bloodworth ‘s Cottage, 23283 Back Street, corner of Back Street and Drummondtown Rd 
      The home dates back to 1795.  Owners Mike and Meg King bought this charming property in 2006.  They are presently reclaiming the backyard gardens from over exuberant autumn clematis and vigorously growing grass. English boxwoods, planted by Rev. Marcus Bloodworth in 1966, frame the picturesque property.  Roses, poppies, hydrangea, Japanese honey-suckle, and peonies provide the main structure of the garden.  A picket fence encloses a small kitchen garden featuring herbs.  A garden of poppies lines the drive.

Walk toward Front Street, turn left, continue to the drive at 23292 Front Street.
3.  Seymour House, 23292 Front Street. 
Built in 1791, the Seymour House is currently owned by Angelo and Mary Jo Mesisco.  The big house, little house, colonnade and kitchen are set right on Front Street.  Enter through the cobblestone driveway, passing one of the few remaining ice houses on the Shore and begin your tour from the colonnaded porch in the rear.  You will be overwhelmed at the variety of plants and the fragrances that greet you.  Look out at the varieties of hellebore under the huge magnolia.  Stroll through the grounds and view the huge kitchen garden next to the swimming pool.  Search for the graveyard among the old “boxbush” garden.

Walk north to the Old Accomac Hotel on the corner of Front Street and Cross St.
4.   Old Accomac Hotel, corner of Front Street and Cross Street.
      Known as the birth site of Gov. Wise, the hotel was built in 1921 and originally called the Drummondtown Tavern.  Owners Ron and Mary Dahlke, bought the property in 1978 and have placed an extensive garden on the acreage behind the hotel, doing all of the plantings except for a few boxwoods. The raised-bed vegetable garden with neat wooden walkways is beside the back garden tucked under the original windmill, complete with its “safe water” sign.  Ron has made lovely wrought iron plant hooks for bird feeders along the drive and its tempting to tarry awhile savoring the scents of sweet viburnum while listening to the songbirds.  Historians will want to peruse the fenced in graveyard on the property.

Continue walking north on Front Street to the Haven house.
5.  The Haven,  23454 Back Street, south of Drummondtown Baptist Church
      The Haven, built in 1794 and restored in 1948 by Mr. and Mrs. George Walter Mapp Jr.  is open for visitors today  The house is approximately 150 feet long and has 9 outside doors and 6 porches and the property is completely enclosed by a picket fence.  While the front of the house is on Back Street, visitors enter the back of the house on Front Street.  Many of the garden features go back to the ‘50s.  Look for the arum italicum, or Italian lily, that graced many yards of that era.  The front of the house is highlighted by a bitter orange tree with fruit that was often preserved for baking.  The property is sprinkled with boxwoods, azaleas, and roses growing in their natural form. 

Walk .2 mi. north on the west side of Front Street to Mill Lane.  Turn left; go .1 mi. to Coley St.  The house is the 2nd on the left.
6.  Site of the Old Sawmill, 24093 Coley Street
     Theresa and Jerry Hartman, Jr. built their home in 1995 and began planting their gardens almost immediately.  Visitors will enjoy the history of the old kiln in the front yard.  Many of the trees surrounding the house, including crepe myrtles, dogwood, river birch, Japanese Maple, and magnolia, were purchased from the Elizabethan Gardens in NC; others were grown from seed by Theresa.  Around the many pathways, you will find boxwoods, azaleas, hostas, and a very special Breast Cancer garden on the north side of the house with plants given to her by friends.  A special friend from Virginia Beach is offering fresh lemonade.

Return to Front Street; turn right.  Go .2 miles to Back Street.  Continue on Back Street to:
7.  St. James Rectory, 23309 Back Street
      The St. James Rectory is a Federal style home build by the Bayly family and bought by St. James’ in 1885 to house its clergy.  When the current occupants, the Rev. Alan Hooker and his wife Cathy moved in, there were few flowers or shrubs on the two acre property other than the boxwoods lining the front walk and several mature trees.  The Hookers have chosen a “softer” look with a variety of plantings. Cathy has established gardens of roses, camellias and perennials around the house and near the small office along the street.  Many of her flowers and shrubs were especially chosen to attract butterflies.  Ask about the fothergilla.  In the side yard, Rev. Hooker, an avid vegetable gardener, maintains a “three rod” garden which produces nearly year round, including asparagus in the spring, raspberries in the summer and arugula year-round.

When leaving the parking lots, go 3.6 miles on Drummondtown Rd to:
8.  Mt. Hope, 29015 Drummondtown Rd., Locustville
     Mt. Hope was built circa 1790 and purchased by Anthony and Linda Hopp in 2001.                They envision returning the grounds to the 19th century look and are including many plants unique to that era. Visitors enter the grounds by a shell lined avenue of crepe myrtle and Deodor cedar.  Espaliered apples on a rail fence, under-planted with strawberries, line the south side of the drive, in combination with cherry laurel, boxwood, Confederate jasmine and lavender.  Brick paving accentuates the rear of the house with 2 grassy parterres, flanked by a grape arbor and a potting shed.  The garden is outlined in English boxwood. Walking down inter-connected paths one can find plantings of callicarpa, tree peony, Alexandrian laurel, digitalis, winter daphne, tea olive and numerous others. In the adjacent orchard area can be found apple, peach, pear and cherry trees and oriental and American persimmons.